Finish for Red Cedar Garden Gate

[SimonB13]

Hi All,

I've nearly finished a garden gate which I've made from Western Red Cedar, but I'm not quite sure about the finish. I was originally going to make the gate in Oak and had bought some Osmo UV Protection Oil Extra (420) which I had thought I might now use on the cedar instead, however the last time I used the Osmo on a small garden planter it went fairly mouldy, fairly quickly (despite the Osmo containing biocides). To try and avoid that I was thinking about treating the gate with Cuprinol Clear Wood Preserver first, and then using two coats of the Osmo Oil once the Cuprinol has dried - is that a good idea?

Alternatively, is there a better finish for exterior cedar? I'd quite like to avoid it greying too much but I do like the idea of a clear finish, rather than using a stain.

Any advice greatly appreciated!

Cheers,
Simon

 

[SurreyHills]

I use boiled linseed oil (3 coats) on my cedar beehives and you find it does darken it slightly. The hives are outside throughout the year and the BLO protects it really well and prevents it going grey. Easy to apply with a brush, wipe off excess after 15 minutes, apply second coat after about an hour then 3rd coat 24 hours later.

 

[AndyT]

I thought the whole point of using western red cedar was that it is naturally durable without any finish at all. It will slowly weather to an attractive silver grey colour (don't we all!) but not rot. That's why it's so popular for exterior cladding on buildings.

 

[SimonB13]

Thanks for the replies. The durability was why I picked cedar, but I haven't used it before so wasn't sure how well the finishes would work, and I was keen to avoid it greeting too much. If I just use oil, is the natural durability of the wood likely to prevent mould/mildew growth?

 

[SimonB13]

Sorry - that should have been "greying", not greeting - bloody phones...

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Ive used clear cuprinol extensively on outdoor projects over the years. I also always used it when I wanted to protect but not colour. I've found it to be really good at preventing all kinds of insect attack including furniture beetle and rot etc. However, Im yet to find any exterior finish that truly resists the natural oxidation and therefore silvering of any wood type. You might get a year or two out of it but in the end it will go silver, don't care how many "UV filters" it says on the tin. In my experience none of them work (At least not long term). The only thing that seems to substantially prevent colour change is varnish. Even that needs attention after a few years. Think of traditional wooden boats!